[con.found] vt [ME, fr. MF confondre, fr. L confundere to pour together, confuse, fr. com- + fundere to pour--more at found] (14c) 1 a archaic: to bring to ruin: destroy b: baffle, frustrate "conferences ... are not for accomplishment but to ~ knavish tricks --J. K. Galbraith"
2. obs: consume, waste 3 a: to put to shame: discomfit "a performance that ~ed the critics" b: refute "sought to ~ his arguments"
4: damn
5: to throw (a person) into confusion or perplexity
6. a: to fail to discern differences between: mix up b: to increase the confusion of syn see puzzle -- con.found.er n -- con.found.ing.ly adv